Ferrari confirms Lewis Hamilton will start 2026 season with new race engineer
Ferrari has officially confirmed that Lewis Hamilton will begin the 2026 Formula 1 season with a new race engineer by his side. The announcement comes ahead of the pre-season testing at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, as Riccardo Adami transitions into a new role within the Scuderia.
Lewis Hamilton, who spent over a decade working alongside Peter Bonnington at Mercedes before joining Ferrari in 2025, faced a challenging first season adapting to the Italian team. Although the Briton maintained that there were no personal issues with Riccardo Adami, radio communications during races often hinted at occasional tension and moments of confusion. One particular radio message raised concerns for the team, highlighting the urgency of confirming a replacement before the first pre-season test.
According to reports from the Italian media, Luca Diella is emerging as the frontrunner to assume Riccardo Adami’s responsibilities. Lewis Hamilton’s previous positive comments about working with Diella suggest that the two already share a strong professional dynamic, making him a natural choice to step into the role.
Lewis Hamilton and Luca Diella already have a proven working relationship
Luca Diella joined Ferrari in February 2025 as a performance engineer, having previously collaborated with Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes between 2019 and 2024. During that time, Diella specialised in optimising power units and fine-tuning engine software to extract maximum performance—a skill set that will be even more critical in 2026 as Ferrari prepares to compete at the front of the grid, particularly against Mercedes, who are widely expected to remain a strong championship contender.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has emphasised the importance of ensuring Lewis Hamilton feels comfortable and supported within the team. The addition of Luca Diella, alongside deputy team principal Jérôme d’Ambrosio, both former Mercedes colleagues, is seen as a key step toward achieving that goal.
When Luca Diella began working more closely with Lewis Hamilton during the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, he noted that mid-season engineering changes are never straightforward. However, he acknowledged that his prior relationship with the seven-time F1 world champion had already created a productive dynamic, and improvements in the car’s performance at Spa reflected that synergy. This history suggests that Diella is well-positioned to seamlessly take over Riccardo Adami’s former role and help Lewis Hamilton adapt quickly to the 2026 car.
Why Peter Bonnington is unlikely to rejoin Hamilton at Ferrari
While Peter Bonnington, affectionately known as “Bono,” remains Lewis Hamilton’s most trusted former race engineer, his return to Ferrari is highly improbable. Bonnington currently serves as head of trackside performance at Mercedes and also works with Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The strong professional bond between Bonnington and Lewis Hamilton has been widely acknowledged, including by former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer, who highlighted how crucial their relationship was to Lewis Hamilton’s success.
Despite the potential benefits of a reunion, Bonnington would face significant personal and professional challenges in moving to Italy. Joining Ferrari would require uprooting his life and leaving Mercedes—a team that could be in a stronger position than Ferrari to compete for both championships in 2026. Consequently, Ferrari has shifted focus toward internal solutions like Luca Diella, who combines familiarity with Lewis Hamilton and continuity in performance engineering.
With Luca Diella poised to take over as race engineer, Ferrari is hoping that this strategic personnel adjustment will provide Lewis Hamilton with the stability and support he needs to maximize his performance in the 2026 season and strengthen the team’s championship ambitions.
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